The Poor and Sorrowing

Throughout the Old Testament God answered the cries of the Jewish people. He knew their suffering when they were being oppressed as a nation. In more intimate moments, God heard the cries of those who were hurting. Their pain stemmed from diverse needs and wants. Prayers for food and shelter. Prayers for protection. Prayers for healing. Prayers for a child. For the Jewish wife, having a child was extremely important. If pregnancy was delayed, a wife faced social shame, and in some cases, possibly divorce.

Jesus’ ministry focused on the poor, the suffering and the marginalized. He realized how the government at the time had full control over their lives. The Jewish leaders, having acquiesced to the Roman rulers, to maintain the façade of religious leaders, ruled the Jewish people with contempt. They would keep them at a distance, treat them as if they were “less than” and often actually following God’s words about love and comfort.

Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Here we are in March of 2026, and I must wonder, as followers of Christ, are we reaching out to the poor, sick and marginalized. I mean do we intentionally reach out to help? Not just within our family or friends. Not going home or church and pray for them. Do we reach out to the stranger in need and offer our help?

Jesus, during his ministry, reached out to the marginalized to provide comfort and healing. He offered his love and mercy to all who listened and accepted his words. More importantly, he reached out to the Jewish leaders when they tried to prove he was blaspheming. He responded with words, that if they were sincere in looking for the truth, they would have heard it. But their fear of him hindered their understanding. They had become self-righteous. They did not want their position with the Roman government or the Jewish people jeopardized.

There are many people who use their family wealth to help those less fortunate. There are companies and corporations who make use of the tax benefits to make contributions to organizations that support the poor and hungry. All this is wonderful and they should be given credit for doing so.

However, there is no question that living on a budget might prove challenging to financially help those in need. We can still do something. For example, when going grocery shopping pick up 2-3 extra cans of food to donate to our church or food panties. You can look for sales to keep within your budget. You can forego an item that you “want” to provide a “need” for another family.

We are providing a free webinar, Three Self-Emptying Days, review, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.  Register for the webinar here

Millie Padilla

FSJ Admin